Do you aspire to be your own boss? Do you have a business dream you would like to pursue? You just might be a future entrepreneur.
What’s an Entrepreneur?
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) defines entrepreneurs as “those persons (business owners) who seek to generate value, through creation or expansion of economic activity, by identifying and exploiting new products, processes, or markets”.
What’s available for an aspiring entrepreneur?
Entrepreneurs are an essential driver of economic growth in our communities and College of the Rockies is dedicated to supporting the entrepreneurial endeavours of our learners. That is why we are developing entrepreneur assistance for students, with the StartUp! office at our Cranbrook main campus for in-person meetings with advisors and experts.
StartUp! will support student entrepreneurs to find the help they need to start their own business. Through our partnerships with Community Futures East Kootenay, Futurpreneur, and the Kootenay Aboriginal Business Development Agency (so far), we will be able to offer:
- Access to print and online resources
- Connections to support and funding programs
- Business coaching workshops
- Pitch competitions
- Entrepreneur bootcamps
- And more!
The StartUp! office is located in KC 247 and has office hours from 1:00 – 3:30 pm starting Tuesday, January 18 and thereafter on the first Tuesday of every month. Stop in or make an appointment to talk with an expert by emailing research@cotr.bc.ca.
The team also has an exciting calendar of events starting in January 2022. First up – a speaker series presentation from Sue Ross of Futurpreneur that will be of particular interest to trades students. Sue will review case studies of regional tradespeople who have started their own business with the support of Futurpreneur.
What: Apprentice to CEO: Launch your own business with your Trades training
When: January 18, 6:00 pm
Where: KC 250 (or via Teams)
Stay tuned to the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Office website for details about additional events or email research@cotr.bc.ca.